Cry of the Wolf-Slayer
by TheOpenCorridor
Summary: There are many stories about a man turning into a wolf...but what about a wolf turning into a man? Please R&R!
1. Chapter 1

Cry of the Wolf-Slayer

Chapter 1

The moon shone bright through the trees. The wind raced along the heavy trenches of the wilderness, brushing the arching ferns and chilling almost every living creature to the bone.

However, there was one beast that the wind did not phase. It was a wolf, its eyes fixated on the unknown. It was crouched in a fearful stance near the stream, its tail hovering between its legs and its heart pulsing rapidly.

_Anytime now, _it thought, its breath billowing in the cold night. _Surely I will not harm anyone this time…._

A fierce shiver slithered down its spine in response. The wolf whimpered, knowing that will not be true—whether he was satisfied with it or not, someone _will _be injured this night, in this freezing and windy autumn night. Pain gripped the creature's heart as it remembered the faces of its deceased pack mates—the moments when the life left their frightened eyes….

_Please, _it pleaded to nothing, feeling weak in its useless prayer, _I do not want to kill anyone tonight….Especially those of my own pack. Why must this curse be bestowed upon me, out of everyone? Why me…..?_

One of its shoulder bones snapped. The wolf bared its teeth, trying to stifle its howls of panic as the rest of its body began retract. Stumbling into the shadows, it writhed. It forced itself to remain hidden as its paws began to grow bigger. Its claws shrunk and morphed into short nails, its paws extended and became hands. Its tail disappeared, and the wolf stood upright….

An earsplitting howl split the air, or rather, the cry of a human being….

The forest seemed to shake as the brute pelted madly through the trees. Its speed increased with each step, its gaze hardening as it moved closer to its destination. Racing into a deserted clearing, the now transformed wolf hurried to a spot near a pine tree. It weaved amongst the fallen nettles, delving deeper into the hole beneath the tree's trunk and showering the yellow grass with dead vegetation.

The creature finally stood up, holding a hunting rifle in its arms. After brushing dirt and grit off of the weapon, it ran its hands along the sides for a moment, enthralled with the detail. In that instance, the human felt as if it possessed total control. With such a contraption designed to kill in its hands, anything could happen….

Deciding to do a practice shot, the human played its observations of the weapon's use through its mind, also remembering the exercises that it did on other occasions. It aimed at the nearest tree, blasting a bullet into the trunk, the blow raging in its ears. Good thing that other rifles were stashed in the hole as well; it was beginning to wonder if the gun would run loose of bullets. Although the wolf within the human was howling in refusal, the human allowed bloodlust to conquer it, gathering its strength and departing from the clearing. Shooting one last glance behind it, the human turned, walking briskly into the forest beyond.

Before long, an agonized yelp echoed through the night.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Sinopa heaved a sigh. Yet again, she had forgotten to fetch comfrey. Nosing through her herb stores, she spotted a scoop of alder at the rear of the cluster, beginning to stretch her neck to grab it. Once it was clamped between her teeth, she slid her head out of the provision stock, battering away the fronds that clung to her pelt and carrying the alder to Misae. The injured she-wolf was grief-stricken, her amber eyes scanning the Healer's Clearing as if something would jump out and attack her.

"Try to relax," Sinopa soothed, examining the hole on the patient's hip. The wound had finally stopped welling with blood, and the bullet was already extracted. After taking a look at the now rising sun and listening to the buzz of activity outside of the clearing, Sinopa chewed the bunch of alder and started smearing it on the wound.

Misae strained not to whimper in pain, but Sinopa ignored it. She was pondering over why she had not heard anything the previous night—especially if the wolf-slayer had struck and the patient had come staggering into her den in alarm, therefore waking her.

Before she could say anything to comfort the young she-wolf, the ferns rustled. A bulky white and brown wolf approached, his gaze moving from Sinopa to Misae, eyes calculating.

Sinopa lowered her tail in submission. "Beta."

Takoda nodded in acknowledgement, his expression grim. "What happened?" He inquired, his husky voice directed to no one in particular. "I am hearing many different stories."

Just as she was about to speak, her patient began sobbing. "It came to me in the night," she wailed, "I was asleep, and the metal shot through me."

"Wolf-slayer," he muttered, "Did you see anything?"

Misae contemplated for a moment. "No," she answered, "Only the outline of a man."

"Was anyone else awake at that time?"

"I don't think so."

Takoda glanced at Sinopa. "Will she recover?"

The Healer shifted her paws, thinking. She was aware that his brother had been struck with a similar injury, burdened forever with a limp. However, she did not know if Misae would fare any better—it would take a large amount of determination for her if she ever wished to perform normal functions within the Pack. After sniffing the patient's hip, Sinopa replied, "It is unclear at this point. A couple of sun cycles of observation would help me verify her future state."

While Misae's eyes widened with anxiety, Takoda remained calm. "Very well. I will report to the Alpha." He turned away, and then headed for the exit. Before he departed, his gaze wandered to the patient. "I'm afraid that you will be relieved of all duties for now. You will not participate in the hunt either." The ferns swiveled as he stepped out of the clearing.

Misae bowed her head down, her expression growing more and more distressed. Sinopa gave her a few consoling words before poking her head out of the den to look around. Everyone seemed on edge. She spotted many pelts flashing by, the wolves' jaws carrying brambles and what not….probably to repair the den in which the wolf-slayer had broke through.

Sinopa turned around to see Misae's black head lowered even more. She could hear the repetitive whimpers escaping her maw. "Iam afraid that the creature might come back," she said.

The Healer shook her head. "Rest assured; it usually does not return for awhile." Her heart lapsed as she noticed that the patient was not convinced. She knew that her powers of persuasion were not prominent enough—she should have listened to her instincts.

"I was the only one who saw the man," Misae continued, "I know the others do not deem me crazy, but I wish someone else could have seen just how frightening it appeared in that moment…."

Sinopa pricked her ears. "Perhaps Messenger Ahanu has seen something," she suggested, her voice forced to mirror enthusiasm as she thought of her brother; "We can ask him once he returns from Catori Land." _I hope that stops her worrying. I have enough to fret over myself—my brother is in enemy territory and I have to treat injuries that some cannot recover from. _

She paused. A howl sounded outside of the den. Recognizing it as the Alpha's signal for a meeting, Sinopa left Misae alone without uttering a word, settling herself near the entrance once she was out. Almost all members of the pack gathered together in a single heap, their eyes rounded with clear uneasiness as they watched the Alpha steer into the center of the clearing. The slight wind had ruffled his snow-colored fur, and his amber eyes were focused on the cloudy sky above them before they shifted to the throng of apprehensive wolves.

Sinopa felt movement beside her. She turned to see Kajika limping to a spot next to her, and a stab of guilt pierced her heart as the past flashed into her memory. _What a dutiful Healer that I am—I failed to treat him, and the same will probably happen with Misae. _Kajika granted her with a warm gaze, but she refused to react to him and was relieved when the Alpha started speaking.

"My fellow packmates," He began, his eyes skimming through the audience, "As many of you are aware, the wolf-slayer has struck. It appears to be the same creature who had murdered Dyami and Ayasha; according to witness accounts, the man fled before he could shoot the killing bullet, therefore leaving his victim behind. Misae is currently in recovery from her traumatic experience and injuries." He nodded to Takoda.

The burly wolf stepped forward and stood beside the Alpha, looking rather intimidating and causing his leader to appear puny due to his superior size. His gruff timbre rang out instantly. "The hunt will be delayed. I will lead a patrol of myself and two other wolves. You—" He pointed his nose to a couple of subordinates, Niabi and Ciqala—"Will be accompanying me. No protests. The human's stench is still traceable, and the sooner we find out where it resides, the more we will know about its lifestyle and its weaknesses. We cannot allow anymore of our pack members to be harassed—especially if the bastard is coming back repeatedly."

Sinopa tensed, watching Kajika from the corner of her eye. His tail was thrust between his legs from what she could tell. The guilty feeling in her chest twisted even harder.

"What if the scent fades?" Someone inquired.

Before Takoda could holler an answer, the Alpha silenced him. "We would be able to venture no further."

"I would much rather look after my sister," Ciqala complained, "She is in the Healer's den with no company, after all—"

Takoda's growl cut him off. "I say that you are in my patrol, _subordinate, _and that is that. You may visit Misae after the hunt, but until then, do not challenge your authority's orders again, chiefly if I said _no protests_." He showed his teeth.

Ciqala backed away with his tail tucked, his expression clouding with mingled emotions. _That is what he deserves for questioning the Beta….idiot. _Sinopa gazed down at her dark gray paws, despising the fact that she called someone such a thing, but she knew it was true—Ciqala was not always obedient towards those who ranked higher than him, which was bound to cost him his strength soon if he continued with his behavior.

The Alpha persisted as if no argument had occurred. "Once the Beta's patrol has returned with their findings, I will interpret their results and come to a conclusion as to what must be done with this wolf-slayer." He closed his mouth and surveyed the spectators. "Now that everything has been discussed, the patrol may leave at this time."

As soon as his words were processed, the crowd dispersed. Sinopa heaved herself up and scurried away from Kajika, fixing her eyes on the Alpha. Without looking back, he strode into his private quarters beside a tree, a dangling branch thrashing behind him as he entered. Sinopa followed his tracks with timid steps. She approached the entrance, gulping. She had not done this in a while—not since he had become leader.

Initiating her presence with a soft whimper, the gray she-wolf went into his den.

He shot her a glimpse from the back of the enclosed space, his eyes quizzical.

"Hotah." His name sounded foreign on her tongue as she addressed her littermate.

"Sister," he replied, his shoulders hunched, "What brings you here to intrude?"

"I am not here to intrude," she said, "I merely ask for permission to leave Sokanon Territory."

The curiosity in his gaze grew. "For what purpose?" He asked, his posture remaining stiff as he rearranged his position and sat down.

Sinopa sensed his discomfort and supposed that this was the best time to depart, but her determination trapped her at the spot. "My supply of comfrey is non-existent. It will be a necessary remedy if the wolf-slayer plans on returning."

Her brother analyzed her for a moment, his amber eyes flickering with different emotions here and there, none of which were in her favor. "There is something else as well," he observed, leaning forward, "You would not ask for my confirmation if your trip was only to gather herbs."

Her heart omitted a beat. He was right. Sinopa scolded herself for allowing her illogical thoughts to sway her thinking—more so for convincing her to even speak to a littermate that she had not acknowledged for so long. Capturing a large breath of air, she refrained from spilling out her actual reason for consulting him. "I figured that you would not want anyone slipping out of Camp unexpectedly."

Hotah's opinion seemed unchanged. "Yet, you find the nerve talk to me after what had happened."

The she-wolf winced. "It needed to be done some time."

It appeared like he was considering her answer, but then it became evident that the bitterness from their last encounter was still present as he curled his lip. "I would have preferred that you did not come. If I remember correctly, you could not meet my eyes. You swore to never utter a word to me again." He stood up, his stare attached to hers. "Why else are you leaving?"

The overwhelming tightening in her chest seemed to drag Sinopa to the ground. She tucked her tail as low as she could, fighting the images from the past popping into her mind. The anger in his expression. The sorrow that was ripping her heart in two. The dead body. The blood. The thunder that roared from above.

That distant yell that sounded from the trees….

Snapping back into reality, Sinopa concentrated on the present. "It's Ahanu," she confessed, making her remorseful feelings subside, "He was sent to Catori Land four sun cycles ago, was he not? Where is he now?"

"He should come back soon."

Rather than letting out an annoyed growl, she ignored her thoughts and spoke to her brother in a calm tone. "Well, he has not. I resolved to search for him." She reflected on her reckless decision—Ahanu was well more aware of the territory than she was, and he could be anywhere. _Perhaps on his route back to Camp if he was lucky to avoid the wolf-slayer…. _She trembled. Hotah's voice was stern. "I prefer you remain here. There is a patient in your care, and I am certain Ahanu is fine. As for the missing herb, you will have to manage without it." He motioned toward the exit. "You may leave now."

Sinopa gave him a fierce glare, not knowing how to respond. _Well, I wanted an answer, and I received one. I might as well tend to Misae—she has been left alone for a little too long. _

With that in mind, she turned around and stomped out of the den. She should have foreseen that he would decline her request. What did she expect, anyway? Hotah had transformed from how he was before he was appointed Alpha. Compared to back then, he is now 'all-too-valuable' to be bothered with anything but the wolf-slayer and himself.

Angered, she crashed into the Healer's Clearing without speaking to Misae.


End file.
